Package for Confectionary Product

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a packaging ( 32 ) for a food product ( 10 ), such as a confectionery product which is wrapped in a rectangular strip ( 14 ) of material which is wound around the product, characterized in that the packaging comprises:
         an outer sleeve ( 32 ) comprising an upper sheet ( 36 ) and a lower sheet ( 34 ) joined together by a vertical rear back ( 38 ) and each facing opposite faces of the product; and   means ( 50, 80, 82 ) for retaining the product ( 10 ) inside the sleeve ( 32 ).       

     The packaging sleeve advantageously constitutes an advertising medium.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packaging for a food product, inparticular a product with a generally rectangular parallelepiped shapesuch as a square of chocolate or an individual confectionery productsuch as a candy, a cookie, a madeleine or a bar.

The invention also applies to other individual wrapped food productssuch as savory products.

PRIOR ART

The invention therefore relates to packaging for a food productdistributed to the general public, especially in cafes, bars and hotelsas an accompaniment to coffees served in these establishments.

The food product of this type most commonly distributed, complimentarywith each cup of coffee, is an individual square of chocolateaccompanying an “espresso” coffee whose wrapper usually comprises afirst, food-grade sheet that completely protects the square of chocolateand whose external appearance is generally metallic or shiny, and anexternal jacket known as the “band of the chocolate”.

The outer band consists of a longitudinal strip of rectangular shapemade of a material which is usually a rectangular sheet of paper andwhich, during the manufacturing and wrapping process, is wound aroundthe square of chocolate with its food-grade sheet and then closed byadhesively bonding an area of the back face of the strip to a facingportion of the front face covered by it.

The strip shaped into a band thus matches the shape of the food productperfectly, in particular the rectangular parallelepiped of thechocolate, and its primary function is to keep the chocolate wrapped inthe first food-grade sheet, preventing it from becoming accidentallyunwrapped. Its second function is to include, on its front face, i.e.the face visible to the consumer, certain information such as forexample the name of the establishment distributing the chocolates andother information concerning the ingredients in the chocolate and itsorigin.

Unwrapping the chocolate to eat it is particularly tricky and requires adegree of dexterity on the part of the consumer, especially to enablehim to grasp some part of the band to open it. In any case, opening thepackaging results in the band being torn.

Although we are concerned with a single-use, disposable wrapper, inaddition to the problems of using it, the fact that the band isdestroyed in order to open the wrapper renders it unsuitable foreffectively disseminating lasting advertising messages on its faces, inparticular its front and back faces, even though such a paper mediumrepresents a major means of conveying advertising messages given thehigh quantity of products concerned and the type of target consumer itcan reach.

The invention also relates to “flow-pack” packaging, commonly used inthe distribution of various food products, especially confectioneryproducts.

This type of packaging is used in particular for distributing thechocolate squares mentioned above, “Spéculos” (caramelized) cookies, orother products such as madeleines, nougats, etc. which must beindividually preserved in a sealed wrapper.

Like the wrapper band referred to above, flow-pack packaging consists ofa rectangular sheet of flexible material which is wound around theproduct, for example around the square of chocolate or madeleine andclosed by heat-welding two facing regions of the two oppositelongitudinal ends of the strip or sheet of material, which is generallya sheet or a film of transparent or opaque plastic.

In the case of the paper band mentioned above, the sheet of paper isclosed by adhesive bonding whereas in the present case of flow-packpackaging it is closed both by heat-welding the two oppositelongitudinal end portions of the strip and by heat-welding the oppositehorizontal edges, top and bottom, of the band so as to create a sealedwrapper.

Packaging in the form of flow-pack wrappers is used very widely in theconfectionery industry. Specifically, as well as packaging chocolatesquares or cookies, many chocolate bars and the like are also packagedin this way, individually or as multipacks, for distribution.

They are distributed for example in automatic vending machines of thetype in which each individual product or pack of products is insertedbetween two consecutive turns of a helical worm made of a wound metalwire.

The structure of the packaging and good retention of the product(s)inside the wrapper are essential for such a vending machine to functionproperly. Moreover, each product dispensed falls vertically by a longway after leaving the worm, with the risk of it being damaged.

Whatever the application, the strip of flexible material in flow-packwrappers involves the same problems as mentioned above when it comes toopening it, and it is not very well suited to advertising.

Note also that a candy which is packaged “candy-wrapper” style inside astrip of material such as paper has the same features as a productpackaged by the flow-pack method, i.e. its candy wrapper has two “flat”end parts on either side of the candy.

In all these examples of wrappers, the strip of material wound aroundthe product is closed at least in two longitudinal end is regions, topand bottom, closed for example by fastening, in particular by adhesivebonding or heat-welding, two facing regions of the two longitudinalends, top and bottom, of the strip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome these drawbacks, the invention proposes a packaging for afood product, such as a square of chocolate, or a confectionery productsuch as a candy, a cookie or a bar, which is wrapped in a rectangularstrip of material which is wound around the product and closed in atleast two longitudinal end regions, top and bottom, of the strip,

-   characterized in that the packaging comprises:    -   an outer sleeve, made of rigid or semi-rigid material,        comprising an upper sheet and a lower sheet joined together by a        vertical rear back and each facing opposite faces of the        product; and    -   means for retaining the product inside the sleeve.

According to other features of the invention:

-   -   said retention means consist of at least part of the sleeve        (32);    -   said retention means comprise at least one retention tongue that        extends horizontally from the front vertical free edge of the        lower sheet of the sleeve, into the sleeve and rearward to        interact with a complementary part of the wrapped product so as        to retain the product;    -   the retention tongue is centered vertically with respect to the        front vertical edge of the lower sheet of the sleeve;    -   said retention means comprise at least two retention flaps, top        and bottom, which extend horizontally from the front vertical        free edge of the lower sheet, into the sleeve and rearward, and        which each face top and bottom parts of the wrapper of the        product so that it is flanked by the two flaps;    -   the two top and bottom flaps constitute two top and bottom stops        for vertically retaining the wrapped product inside the sleeve;    -   the wrapper sheet of the product extends upward and downward,        beyond the top and bottom ends of the product, by top and bottom        extensions each of which is covered at least partially by a        retention flap, top and bottom respectively;    -   the wrapped product comprises a vertical opening and the        retention tongue extends horizontally through the opening;    -   the opening is closed at at least one of its two vertical ends        so as to interact with a facing horizontal edge of the retention        tongue;    -   the opening is closed at both of its opposite vertical ends and        the width of the tongue is substantially equal to the height of        the opening;    -   the upper sheet comprises a vertical fold that divides it into        two inclined faces so as to confer on the sleeve the shape of a        prism with a triangular section;    -   the sleeve comprises additional means for locking the sleeve in        the closed position;    -   the sleeve is made as a single piece from cut-out and folded        rigid or semi-rigid material, especially cut-out and folded        cardboard or light cardboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent onreading the following detailed description with reference to theattached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a first embodiment of a packagingaccording to the teaching of the invention, which is shown in the closedposition in association with an individual square of chocolate wrappedin a band;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the square of chocolatecontained inside the packaging of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the packaging of FIG. 1 in its initialunfolded or deployed state;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to the previous view in which the packaging isshown in the open position with the square of chocolate retained by thetongue according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an end view from the bottom along the arrow F5 of FIG. 4, alsoshowing, in chain line, the packaging in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a product wrapped using theflow-pack method and shown in association with a retention tab;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view in section along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to those of FIGS. 3 and 4 which showanother embodiment of the packaging according to the invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are views similar to those of FIGS. 8 and 9 showing yetanother embodiment of the packaging according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is an end view of the packaged product shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following description, identical, similar or analogue componentswill be designated by the same references.

By way of non-limiting example, to facilitate comprehension of thedescription, claims and drawings, the terms vertical, upper, lower,horizontal, longitudinal and transverse will be used, without implyingany limitation, with reference to the trihedron V, L, T shown in thefigures.

FIG. 2 shows a first wrapped food product 10 with a generallyrectangular parallelepiped shape, which in this case is an individualsquare of chocolate 12 surrounded by a wrapper band 14.

For the sake of simplification, the individual chocolate 12 is shownwithout its first food-grade packaging sheet and is thus in the form ofa simple rectangular parallelepiped delimited by two large square faces,lower 16 and upper 18, two opposite large side faces, left 20 and right22, and two opposite small side faces, 24 and 26.

The wrapper band 14 consists of a strip, made for example of paper, witha generally rectangular shape, which is wound around the main lower 16and upper 18 and side 24 and 26 faces of the chocolate square.

According to a known design not shown in detail, the strip 14 isdelimited laterally by two opposite parallel longitudinal edges 28 and30 and by two outer and inner transverse end edges which overlap so asto create two regions of mutual coverage allowing it to be closed andfastened by adhesive bonding, generally over substantially the wholeregion of coverage.

The product 10, of general known design, thus offers the possibility,used in the context of the present invention, of horizontally sliding anobject in the form of a tongue under the strip or band 14, for examplefrom left to right under the band 14 and over the upper face 18.

As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5, the packaging 32according to the invention is in the form of a sleeve which is forexample made by cutting out and folding a piece of light cardboard so asto give it, in the closed position shown in particular in FIG. 1, a“folder” shape designed to hold an individual chocolate square 10, 12shown in FIG. 2.

The outer sleeve 32 thus comprises a lower sheet 34, on the left in thefigures, and an upper sheet 36 on the right, which are joined togetherby an intermediate vertical back 38.

More specifically, and conventionally, the lower rectangular sheet 34 isdelimited longitudinally or horizontally, along the axis L of thetrihedron, by a front vertical free edge 40 and by a rear vertical edge42, while the upper rectangular sheet 36 is delimited by a rear verticalfree edge 44 and by a front vertical edge 46, the edges 42 and 46delimiting between them the vertical back 38 which, when the packagingis folded and closed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, constitutes theright-hand rear edge of the packaging 32.

To facilitate closure by folding the sleeve constituting the packaging32, the parallel vertical edges 42 and 46 are preferably marked withfolds.

The sleeve 32 is delimited overall vertically by two, top 33 and bottom35, horizontal edges which extend between the opposite vertical freeedges 40 and 44.

According to the teaching of the invention, the lower sheet 34 isextended horizontally toward the front by a tongue 50 for retaining theproduct 10, centered vertically along the front free edge 40.

The tongue 50 is made as a single piece by cutting out and folding withthe sleeve 32.

The tongue 50 is delimited vertically by two, top 52 and bottom 54,horizontal edges which extend from the front vertical free end edge 55of the tongue 50 as far as the front vertical free end edge 40 of thelower sheet 34.

Near the edge 40, the retention tongue 50 comprises a marked fold 56which is oriented vertically. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, thedimensions of the retention tongue 50 are such that they allow thetongue 50 to be inserted under the strip 14 and along the upper face 18of the chocolate 12.

As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the product 10 is then held on top ofthe inner face 37 of the lower sheet 34 with its lower face 16 adjacentto the inner face 37. Depending on the position of the product, theretention tongue 50 is adjacent to the upper face 18 or the lower face16 of the product 10.

Owing to the dimensions of the tongue 50 and of the product 10, thelatter is retained in the sleeve 32.

The product 10 is retained in the vertical direction V as its oppositehorizontal edges 52 and 54 are received inside the strip 14, withpractically no clearance, thus preventing any vertical movement of theproduct 10 inside the sleeve 32.

When the sleeve is closed, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 1 and inchain line in FIG. 5, the product 10 is retained horizontally in bothdirections, left and right, both by the vertical strip 57 of the tongue50, delimited by the edges 55 and 40, and by the inner face 39 of thevertical back 38.

Lastly, the product 10 is retained in the direction T inside the closedsleeve 32 as it is sandwiched between the lower sheets 34 and 36, withits lower face 16 adjacent to the inner face 37 while its upper face 18is opposite the inner face 41 of the upper sheet 36.

By way of non-limiting example, and according to another feature of theinvention, the figures also show means for keeping or “locking” thesleeve 32 in the closed position.

These locking means are for example also made as a single piece bycutting out and folding with the sleeve 32 and in this case comprise arear central locking tab 58 whose opposite top 60 and bottom 62 ends arereceived in top 64 and bottom 66 slots, respectively, made opposite eachother along the front edge 40 in association with two top 68 and bottom70 “latches”.

The latches 68 and 70 are shaped so as to facilitate locking andunlocking with a view to opening.

In addition to its function of protecting the product 10, the packagingconsisting of the sleeve 32 constitutes an ideal advertising medium,particularly due to its large surface area.

The product is held securely inside the sleeve, with practically noclearance owing to the clamping effect resulting from the closure of thesleeve 32, especially when the latter includes means for locking in theclosed position.

Advertising messages may appear not only on the internal back face ofthe sleeve 32 consisting of the internal faces 37, 39 and 41 (indicatedhere by the letters V), but also, naturally, and preferably, on theouter front face of the sleeve 32 consisting of the outer faces 37′, 39′and 41′ of the sleeve 32 (indicated here by the letters R).

Advantageously, after use (i.e. after it has been opened so that theconsumer can eat the product 10), the sleeve 32 constitutes anadvertising medium that the consumer may keep.

The surface area or zone available for advertising messages is muchlarger than that provided by the surface area or zone of the wrapperstrip 14.

Moreover, the choice of materials available for the sleeve 32 makesprinting much easier, allowing unlimited creative possibilities.

It is also particularly advantageous to be able to use a standard orneutral product 10, i.e. one not including any particular advertisingmessage other than the manufacturer's brand and product ingredients, inassociation with a personalized packaging sleeve 32, especially for thepurposes of an advertising campaign.

The tongue 50 with its two opposite inner and outer faces alsoconstitutes an additional advertising surface.

When the product is not perfectly parallelepiped, for example roundedlike a candy, a madeleine or a nougat, it is possible to make a cut forexample in the upper and/or lower sheet and/or to shape the central partof this sheet with a rounded shape to match the product.

This is especially possible if the sleeve is made of a sheet of plasticmolded by thermoforming. If a cut is used, this may retain the productin the sleeve by itself.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a product 10 wrapped in a flow-pack wrapper.

The product 10 is in this case, for example, a rectangular individualchocolate square or a flat rectangular cookie such as a “Spéculos”cookie (not visible in FIG. 6).

The product wrapper in this case consists, as is known, of a strip orsheet 14 of flexible material, for example a sheet of transparent oropaque plastic which is sealed closed by thermoforming or heat-welding.

A central part 72, with a shape generally similar and complementary tothe shape of the product it holds, for example a rectangularparallelepiped similar to that of the individual chocolate containedinside, and two top 74 and bottom 76 “zero thickness” end parts are thusdelimited.

The method used to seal the wrapper 10 closed is such that it results,especially in the central part 72, in the formation of an overlap 78delimiting an opening in which, as shown schematically in FIG. 6, it ispossible to insert at least the free end portion delimited by thevertical edge 55 of a retention tongue 50 similar to that describedabove.

This possibility is also shown schematically in the sectional view ofFIG. 7.

Because the top 74 and bottom 76 end parts are closed by heat-welding,the opening (under the overlap 78) in which the retention tab 50 isreceived is also closed at both its opposite vertical ends.

Such a product 10 with its flow-pack wrapper can therefore be placed andheld inside a packaging sleeve 32 like that described and shown withreference to FIGS. 1 to 5, in the same way as a chocolate with a band.

Whether it is a chocolate with a band or a chocolate in a flow-packwrapper, the retention tab 50 can lie “on top of” the upper face 18 ofthe product 10, “covering” the latter as shown in the figures or,alternatively, in a variant not shown, can lie “underneath” the lowerface 16 of the product 10, in which case there is then only thethickness of the paper of the band or of the flow-pack wrapper 14between the tongue 50 and the inner face 37 of the lower sheet 34.

According to a variant not shown, the retention tab 50 can extend overthe whole height of the front vertical edge 40, thus having the sameheight as the lower 34 and upper 36 sheets, the product in this caseprojecting upward and downward beyond the edges 33 and 35, with thelocking means in the closed position thus being able to act in line withthe opposite edges 56 and 44.

According to yet another variant not shown, the retention tongue is notcentered on the vertical edge 40 but may be offset toward the top orbottom.

In the case of a flow-pack wrapper, the packaging sleeve is rigid andhomogeneous, greatly facilitating the stocking and dispensing of thistype of product in automatic vending machines of the type mentionedabove.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to increase the “advertising” surface areafurther, and above all to hold or retain the product more securely, theproduct in this case being wrapped in a flow-pack wrapper, two top 80and bottom 82 flaps can be made (as a single piece by cutting out andfolding), these flaps—when the product 10 is inside the sleeve 32—beingopposite the “zero thickness” top 74 and bottom 76 end parts of thewrapper sheet 14 that encases the product consisting of the chocolate12.

The dimensions of the various slits are such that the top 86 and bottom88 side faces of the product 12 are received, with practically noclearance, between the facing top 90 and bottom 92 edges of the flaps 80and 82, respectively.

This design with two retention flaps makes it possible, if necessary,and in particular if no opening is available or if the opening is notclosed at its two opposite vertical ends, to retain the product.

This design with two top 80 and bottom 82 flaps is also particularlysuited to packaging “non-flat” products, i.e. products with a generallyrounded shape such as candies, nougats, madeleines, etc.

Another embodiment modified for this purpose is shown from FIG. 10onwards, in this case for packaging a small madeleine contained in aflow-pack wrapper.

Since the product packaged is a product with an awkward volume and moreor less variable contour, i.e. not regular like a rectangularparallelepiped chocolate square, the packaging sleeve 32 is first of allmodified in that its upper sheet 36 is divided or partitioned into twofaces 36 a and 36 b separated by a vertical fold 94 so that the upperface 36 can be folded into an upside-down V, as can be seen in FIG. 12,and therefore the sleeve 32 in a product of generally triangularsection.

As the shape of the sleeve 32 is generally polyhedral or a prism oftriangular section, it can contain bulky products of varied shapes whileretaining all the advantages inherent in the invention, especially thoserelating to the holding or retention of the product in the sleeve 32.

To this end, the edges 90 and 92 of the slits delimiting the flaps 80and 82 and the tongue 50 have opposite V-shapes with the internalconcave parts of the two upper case Vs facing one another, as can beseen in FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 11, this makes it possible to easily hold the productwrapped in its flow-pack wrapper between the two slits 90 and 92 andthus between the two flaps 80 and 82, in such a way that the free tips81 and 83 of the flaps 80 and 82 have a “clamping” effect, retaining theproduct even more securely.

The slit consisting of the two opposite V-shaped edges 90 and 92 is thusgenerally complementary to the periphery of the shape of the product tobe held and packaged.

The bottoms of the two Vs thus advantageously interact with the toothededges of the flow-pack wrapper (shown in FIG. 6) which thus constituteretention notches received in the bottoms of the Vs.

The length along “L” of the two flaps 80 and 82 is preferablysufficient, when the sleeve is folded into a triangle and closed, to“force” the flaps to lie crossways, i.e. not parallel to the lower sheet34.

Thus, the retention means consisting of the flaps 80 and 82 prevent auser from trying to remove the product vertically in the direction V, bymaking him open the sleeve, which is particularly important when thesleeve 32 includes an advertising message on its back face.

In this embodiment, the locking tab 58 is received in a locking slot 64formed in the fold 40 corresponding to the front edge.

The locking tab 58 is extended longitudinally outward by a grasping tab59 that facilitates opening of the packaging so as to unfold it andaccess the product it contains.

In all the embodiments shown and described, the sleeve, when laid outflat, is generally rectangular in outline.

As a variant, it is of course possible to give it other shapes so that,once the product has been packaged using the sleeve, said sleeve has anoriginal shape, for example a roller shape.

Likewise, the section of the sleeve whose upper sheet has several facesdoes not have to be triangular but may have any polygonal shape suitablefor the product to be packaged.

1. A packaging (32) for a food product (10), such as a square ofchocolate (12), or a confectionery product such as a candy, a cookie ora bar, which is wrapped in a rectangular strip (14) of material which iswound around the product and closed in at least two longitudinal endregions, top and bottom, of the strip, characterized in that thepackaging comprises: an outer sleeve (32) comprising an upper sheet (36)and a lower sheet (34) joined together by a vertical rear back (38) andeach facing opposite faces of the product; and means (50, 80, 82) forretaining the product (10) inside the sleeve (32).
 2. The packaging asclaimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that said retentionmeans (50, 80, 82) consist of at least part of the sleeve (32).
 3. Thepackaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that saidretention means comprise at least one retention tongue (50) that extendshorizontally from the front vertical free edge (40) of the lower sheet(34) of the sleeve (32), into the sleeve and rearward to interact with acomplementary part of the wrapped product so as to retain the product.4. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized inthat the retention tongue (50) is centered vertically with respect tothe front vertical edge (40) of the lower sheet (34) of the sleeve (32).5. The packaging as claimed in either of claims 2 and 3, characterizedin that said retention means comprise at least two retention flaps, top(80) and bottom (82), which extend horizontally from the front verticalfree edge (40) of the lower sheet (34) of the sleeve (32), into thesleeve and rearward, and which each face top (74) and bottom (76) partsof the wrapper of the product (10) so that it is flanked by the twoflaps (80, 82).
 6. The packaging as claimed in claim 5, characterized inthat the two top and bottom flaps (80, 82) constitute two top and bottomstops for vertically retaining the wrapped product (10) inside thesleeve (32).
 7. The packaging as claimed in either of claims 4 and 5,characterized in that the wrapper sheet (14) of the product extendsupward and downward, beyond the top and bottom ends (86, 88) of theproduct, by top and bottom extensions (74, 76) each of which is coveredat least partially by a retention flap, top and bottom (80, 82)respectively.
 8. The packaging as claimed in claim 2, characterized inthat the wrapped product (10, 12, 14) comprises a vertical opening andin that the retention tongue (50) extends horizontally through theopening.
 9. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim,characterized in that the opening is closed at at least one of its twovertical ends so as to interact with a facing horizontal edge (52, 54)of the retention tongue (50).
 10. The packaging as claimed in thepreceding claim, characterized in that the opening is closed at both ofits opposite vertical ends and in that the width of the tongue (50) issubstantially equal to the height of the opening.
 11. The packaging asclaimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that theupper sheet comprises a vertical fold (94) that divides it into twoinclined faces (36 a, 36 b) so as to confer on the sleeve the shape of aprism with a triangular section.
 12. The packaging as claimed in any oneof the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (32) comprisesadditional means (58, 68, 70) for locking the sleeve in the closedposition.
 13. The packaging as claimed in any one of the precedingclaims, characterized in that the sleeve (32) is made as a single piecefrom cut-out and folded rigid or semi-rigid material, especially cut-outand folded cardboard or light cardboard.